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No 576,383. Patented Feb. 2, 1897.

' WITNESSES: 7

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B STERLING, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ALARM FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0 Letters Patent N 0. 576,383, dated February 2, 1897. A li ation filed June 24, 1895. Serial No. 553,794. No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. STERLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarms for Electric Circuits, of which the followingis a true and accurate description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar letters refor to like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide an alarm or telltale device for electric circuits, by means of which an attendant will be informed when a switch has been automatically opened or a fuse has been burned out by reason of the overloading of the line when the current is so strong as to endanger other devices in circuit, or when the circuit is ruptured, or for any other cause.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, there has not been employed any means of informing the attendant when the circuit is broken or when the line is overloaded, and the attendant has been compelled to constantly watch the lamps or similar devices connected in the circuits; but by my invention I provide an alarm or similar device, so that the attendant may perform other duties, from which he will be called by the sounding of the alarm when the switch is out of order or the circuit is broken. In connection with such alarm I also provide means whereby the attendant is enabled to locate the particular line or lines out of order, and I also provide means whereby the attendant is warned against closing the external circuit if the external circuit is not broken, as, for example, a trolley-wire might be broken and lying on the track or ground, thus closing the external circuit, causing the circuit-breaker, should it be put in circuit, to immediately blow out.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the embodiment of my invention in a central-station plant for supplying a number of lighting-circuits or a number of feeders for lighting or railway circuits.

Ais a dynamo-generator supplying energy and provided with conductors from. brush a to the lines and from brush a to the ground. Conductors B B B connect brush Ct with the three panel-boards O, the current passing through the contacts of the single -pole switches D, through the circuit-breakers E, through the ammeters I and over the lines G G G to the lamps, cars, or other translating devices or sections of the system.

H H H are branch conductors leading to the coils of electromagnets I, and J J J are conductors from suchmagnet-coils to the rheostats K.

L L L are the connections between the rheostats and ground.

Each magnet I controls an armature M,

which in turn controls the movements of a make-and-break device N 0, whereby a secondary circuit may be opened or closed to cause an alarm to be sounded or a signal to be exhibited, if desired.

P P P are conductors from line B to the spring-contacts N, and Q Q Q are connections between the screwcontacts 0 O O and the coil of an electromagnet R. S is a connection from said coils to a rheostat T. U is the connection between said rheostat and the ground. Each of the conductors P is provided with a switch F, so that any one of the branches of the secondary circuits may be cut out when desired, and the conductor S is provided with a switch V, so that the magnet B may be rendered inoperative, if advisable.

The electromagn'et R controls an armature which carries a blade X. This blade is arranged to complete a circuit through the parts of a circuit-closer Y. One of the parts of such circuit-closer is connected by conductor Z to line B, and the other part is connected by conductor A to a binding-post of the bell B. A wire 0 connects the other post of said bell with a rheostat D, and a wire E connects said rheostat with the ground.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the current flows from brush a, over the wires B, through the contacts of switches D, through the circuit-breakers E, through the ammeters F, and over wires G, to perform the work required. The current divides after passing through the devices on the panels and flows over wires H, through coils of magnets I, and over wires J, and through rheostat K to the ground, forming a branch circuit around each of the panels. When the magnets I are energized, the armatures M are attracted, and each armature lifts a latch N away from a screw 0, thus breaking a secondary circuit which controls the opening or closing of an alarm-circuit. The attraction of all the armatures, therefore, renders the alarm inoperative, and when any one of such armatures is released the alarm-circuit is closed and the attendant notified. If a circuit-breaker E should be blown out, or any other of the devices on the panel destroyed by reason of poor connections or by an excess of current, the circuit including the magnet I, which corresponds to the useless panel, would be broken and the armature M thereof released. The latch N, which had been held by said armature, will then be drawn down against the screw 0 and a branch of the secondary circuit will be closed. Current will then follow over that wire P, which is connected with the released latch, and over a branch Q to the coils of the magnet R, and

thence to ground, by common wire S, rheostat T, and wire U. The magnet R will attract the armatnre \V, and the blade X of such armature will close a circuit through the parts Y, the current now flowing from line 13 over wires Z and A to a bell B, and thence by wire 0, rheostat D, and wire E, to ground. The sounding of the bell will notify an attendant that the circuit is opened by circuit-breaker blowing out, or some part destroyed, as described above, and he will cut the panel out of circuit by opening switch D. If any panel is burned out, or is not in use, the branch of the alarnrcontrolling circuit which corresponds to it may also be cut out by means of the switch F, which is in that particular branch.

If it is desired to cut the alarm-controlling magnet out of circuit independently of the panels, this may be done by a switch V.

In connection with my improvement I provide means whereby the attendant is enabled to immediately ascertain which panel has been injured. There are several arrangements, which may be used in conjunction or separately, which will accomplish the result, and Ihave illustrated three means for identifying the panel which is out of order. The result sought for may be accomplished by including a device, such as an incandescent lamp, as shown by dotted figures at G, in the branch conductor B, leading to the single pole switches D, and the attendant after hearing the alarm can identify the injured panel, because the lamp connected with it has been extinguished,or an incandescentlamp (shown by dotted figures at H) may be included in the branches Q of the secondary or alarmcontrolling circuit and will be lighted only when that branch is closed because of injury to the corresponding panel.

If desired, I may use an alarm and such connections therefor that the alarm will be sounded a number of times corresponding to the number of the panel which is injuredfor instance, once for the left-hand panel, twice for the middle panel, and three times for the right-hand panel.

In the left-hand figure in the accompanyin g drawing I have illustrated the multiplealarm device which I may employ, and the following is a description thereof: A springlatch N may be provided with a toothed end J, which when the armature M is released by the magnet I will be drawn away from the toothed wheel K, meshing with a wheel L, in turn meshing with a wheel M. An escapement N, provided with a weight 0, is pro vided and permits the wheel J to move the space of one tooth only. The train of wheels is set in motion by a weight P. The wheel M has pins Q peripherally set therein, and these when the wheel rotates make contact with a fixed brush R, the alarm-controlling circuit being by wire P through wheel M, through contacts Q, through brush R, through wire Q, to magnet R, or to the bell direct if it be desired not to use the magnet R.

Many forms of bells maybe employed, but I have obtained especially advantageous results when I employ substantially the form of bell shown and described in my Patent No. 539,966, granted May 28, 1895, for an electric hell.

I may also use in connection with my hereinbefore-described invention a signaling apparatus, whereby the attendant will be informed when the short-circuit is off the line and when it is safe for him to close the circuit-breaker. I have shown such a signal device placed in a shunt S around the lefthand panel only, but one may be provided for each panel or each circuit, if desired. An electromagnet T is included in said shunt and controls an armature U, which carries a sign V, adapted to be exposed when the armature is attracted.

A switch IV is provided to break the shuntcircuit, when desired. Before putting the panel devices in circuit by closing the circuitbreaker and the switch D the attendant closes the shunt circuit and is immediately informed, by the exposure or non-exposure of sign V, whether the external circuit is or is not closed, as hereinbefore explained. If a short-circuit exist-s, he will not close the circuit through the panel until the defect is corrected.

IVhile I have herein shown and described the preferred arrangements and combinations of circuits, yet it is of course to be understood that the combinations may be varied, using either one or all, without departing from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure, is-

1. In an electric distribution system, the combination of a conductor from a generator to a distant point, a circuit maker and breaker for said line, a shunt around the said circuit maker and breaker, an electromagnet, controlling an indicator, in said shunt, a branch circuit including the circuit maker and breaker and a returmconductor to the generator, an electromagnet in said branch, a circuit-closer operated by the last-named magnet, and meansin the circuit closed by said circuit-closer for sounding an alarm when the circuit of the branch is broken through the circuit maker and breaker of the main line, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an electric distribution system, the combination of a conductor from a generator to a distant point, a circuit maker and breaker for said line, a shunt around the said circuit maker and breaker, an electromagnet, controlling an indicator, in said shunt, abranch circuit including the circuit maker and breaker and a return-conductor to the generator, an electromagnet in said branch for c011- trolling the sounding of an alarm When the circuit of the branch is broken through the circuit maker and breaker, and a device for identifying the circuit which is broken, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In an electric distribution system, the combination of a conductor from a generator to a distant point, a circuit maker and breaker for said line, a shunt around the said circuit maker and breaker, an electromagnet, controlling an indicator, in said shunt, a branch circuit including the circuit maker and breaker and a return-conductor to the generator, an electromagnet in said branch for controlling the release of a mechanically-operated apparatus for sounding an alarm when the branch circuit is broken, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 21st day of June, 1895,

CHARLES E. STERLING. Witnesses:

L. F. H. Burrs, WM. H. BERRIGAN, Jr. 

